


For A Thousand Years

by FlashBastard



Category: Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Genre: Alternate Universe, Other, Past Lives, Reincarnation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-13
Updated: 2020-10-02
Packaged: 2020-10-17 14:09:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 17
Words: 19,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20622320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FlashBastard/pseuds/FlashBastard
Summary: Aziraphale is made human and Crowley is still a demon.  Time does not stop Crowley from trying to find his love.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is based off a tumblr post that I realized I came across three years ago. I made some notes back when I first came across it so I had the date thanks to the gdoc I created. If anyone can find the original post, I will happily give credit. I've tried every type of search I can think of but it seems that it is lost to time.
> 
> Edit ON 10/8/20:  
[I FOUND THE POST](https://sauntervaguelydownward.blogspot.com/2020/10/the-idea-behind-for-thousand-years.html?m=1)
> 
> Doing some research on history and the creation of various cities and countries has made me realize that my timeline is WAY off from actual history. I apologize for that.

It started out innocently enough. Andrew was sitting in the living room waiting for Anthony to come in with the tea and biscuits that always accompanied their movie nights. They'd been together for a couple of months and were taking things slowly. They did manage to kiss once or twice, but it hadn't gone much past that. It was really sweet. 

He preferred to be called Crowley but Andrew just couldn't bring himself to do it. Anthony was such a wonderful name. And no one else was allowed to call him that, so it was kind of like his pet name for him. 

Andrew was looking around the room as he waited and he noticed that the top of Anthony's roll top desk was actually up for a change. It was usually down and locked. Of course curiosity got the better of him and he slowly walked over, just looking at everything that was there. If he didn't touch anything was it actually snooping? That was when he noticed the photo album. 

There weren't any pictures in the flat, only art. No portraits of loved ones. Nothing that indicated any kind of a family. Anthony had said he didn't have a family. It was just him for as long as he could remember. Finding a photo album was very strange. Especially one that was usually locked away. One that only Anthony could look at. Of course this got Andrew's interest piqued immediately. He looked over at the doorway leading to the kitchen before he opened the book to a random page. 

They all looked the same. There were differences, of course. And the pictures were different ages. But every single one of them appeared to have blond hair and blue eyes and similar features. And the pictures were old. All the way back to what looked like tin type pictures from the beginning of the existence of the camera. Every face was just a little bit different. 

"Tea's on, dear." Crowley said as he walked into the living room, setting the tray down on the coffee table before he looked up at Andrew. His eyes went a little wide as he saw what Andrew was looking at. 

"What is this?" Andrew asked, very confused. There were some of the pictures, even the very old ones, that had someone that looked exactly like Anthony in them.

"That's....something you weren't supposed to see." Crowley walked over and took the photo album from Andrew. He looked at the page that was currently open for a moment before closing it and running his fingers over the cover. 

"They all look like me." Andrew said, a little shocked. "And those.....how old _are_ you?" He started to back away a bit. Everything was a little too weird. 

"I can explain everything if you'll let me." Crowley went over and put the photo album down on the coffee table. He opened to the very first page of the book and smiled sadly. It was a tale that he'd told quite a few times over the centuries. 

"Alright." Andrew said as he cleared his throat. He went over and sat on the couch but kept some space between himself and Anthony. "Explain." 

"It's a very long story but I'll be happy to tell you, angel." Crowley said the last word very carefully. It was something that he'd figured out a long time ago. Andrew sat very still. He began to feel very lightheaded and closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them, he looked at Crowley in a new light. 

"Oh." He cleared his throat. "I, well. Yes. Darling, how long has it been this time?" He asked with a small smile. 

"About twenty years." Crowley closed the photo album and reached for Andrew's hand. 

"I'm terribly sorry to have kept you waiting, my love." Andrew took Crowley's hand and kissed the back gently. 

"You know I'd wait an eternity for you, Zira." Crowley grinned. Just saying that one word always seemed to bring everything back. Sometimes he had to tell the story before he could get the word out. It never mattered, though. It always came back to his angel remembering. 

"I just hate that you have to wait at all." He sighed and shifted closer so that he could wrap his arms around Crowley. He didn't know how the demon could handle the torture that he went through century after century, but he endured it nonetheless.


	2. 4004 BC

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The beginning of it all.

He gave the sword away. Crawly couldn't believe it. The angel had given the flaming sword to the mortals. He wondered if there would be any kind of repercussions for the behavior. If he would actually get in any kind of trouble. Heaven seemed a bit more forgiving of things like that, of course, but it was still something that they'd both worried about. They spent the day together talking as the angel sheltered him from the storm with his wing, not even minding that he was getting wet himself. It was a lovely conversation that Crawly would have enjoyed for a lot longer if not for the angel being called away. 

The next day, Crawly slithered through the garden. It was a very efficient way to travel, really. He was searching for the angel. For Aziraphale of the Eastern Gate. He wanted to talk to him some more. It was entirely possible that Crawly was actually developing feelings for the angel in a very short amount of time. He liked to think that the angel felt the same way. 

"You gave the sword away?" Crawly heard a loud voice say from seemingly nowhere. He made his way very slowly toward the bright light that shone down on the angel. 

"Yes, I did. I'm sorry, my Lord, but they needed a way to defend themselves. She's expecting and you just cast them out into the world with nothing. I had to do something." The angel pleaded as he looked up into the light. 

"No, you didn't. Being cast out was their punishment for disobeying me. They were supposed to fend for themselves. Whatever would happen, would happen." The voice sounded angry. That definitely sounded like God. "You can either repent or you can be punished." 

"I'm sorry, my Lord, but I can not repent for something I do not regret doing." Aziraphale stood up straight. Crawly was very proud of the angel for standing his ground. It made him love him that much more. "I stand by my decision. If that means I must be punished, then so be it." Aziraphale said. Crawly was waiting for the angel to fall. For his wings to turn black and for him to become a demon. They could absolutely spend more time together then. 

"So be it." God said. "If you so love these mortals that you would defy me to help them, perhaps you should enjoy spending your life as one of them." The light got a bit brighter and Crawly had to look away. When he looked back, the bright light was gone. Aziraphale stood where he was, his wings completely gone, his clothing changed to a dingy gray rather than the shining white they had been. 

"NO!" Crawly hissed loudly as he made his way over and shifted into his humanoid form. "You can't do that!" He screamed at the sky. 

"Crawly, stop." Aziraphale said, putting a hand on his arm. "It's alright." He offered a small smile. 

"It's not alright at all. She's punishing you for helping someone! How is that fair?" Crawly looked up at the sky again before looking back at Aziraphale. 

"I'm sure it's all part of the plan." Aziraphale said with a shrug. "Now, rather than dwell on it, perhaps you could help me find some shelter out there in the world." 

"Of course. I can do that at least." Crawly sighed and wrapped his arms around Aziraphale. A snap of his fingers and they were in another part of the world. He could miracle up a shelter and some food and do everything he could to make sure that Aziraphale was safe. 

"You are awfully nice for a demon." Aziraphale commented. 

"Never wanted to be a demon." Crawly shrugged. That seemed to be enough of an answer. Crawly wanted to stay with Aziraphale. To live with him and just be with him, but work unfortunately took precedent. He had other people he had to go tempt. Things he had to set in motion. He would visit as often as he could, though. 

It was hard for him, watching Aziraphale has he started to get older and older. He was one of the oldest living humans, after a while. Managed to make it nearly two hundred years. And Crowley would spend all of his spare time with Aziraphale. He would talk about his assignments and his various adventures. It hadn't taken long at all for him to fall in love with Aziraphale and he made very clear that the feelings were actually mutual. 

"I can heal you. Can make you young again. All you have to do is ask." Crawly said with tears in his eyes as Aziraphale grew weaker in his bed. "Please, you can't leave me." 

"It is the way of things." Aziraphale whispered, barely able to speak. He reached for Crawly's hand and the demon immediately took it. "I've lived far longer than I should have already." He laughed softly and it turned into a cough. 

"What am I going to do without you?" Crawly asked, rubbing Aziraphale's chest to help ease the cough. He wanted to miracle everything away. To make him vibrant and young again. 

"You will go on. And you will do what you do best." Aziraphale smiled. He tried to squeeze Crawly's hand but it was a wasted effort. "We will find each other again. I promise." 

Those were the last words that Aziraphale said before closing his eyes and breathing his last breath. Crawly just stayed there, holding his hand and sobbing. He let out an unearthly wail that echoed all of the pain in the world. When he finally went back to hell to get his next assignment he was extremely grateful to find that Aziraphale was not there. God had given him that much mercy at least. While Aziraphale had kept his faith in God even with everything that happened, in that one particular moment Crawly's faith was completely obliterated.


	3. 3012 BC

It had happened completely by accident. Crawly wasn't expecting to see his angel again. It didn't matter that he'd been turned mortal, Crowley always called him angel. Aziraphale hadn't minded in the least. They considered it a pet name, of sorts. 

It had been a little more than a thousand years since his angel had been turned human. Slightly less than eight hundred since the angel had died. The flood happened and Crawly really hadn't cared all that much. He just had to go on. He had to do what he was put on the Earth to do. And he did it better than any other demon. It was the best way to take revenge on God for what she'd done to his angel. The more souls that ended up in Hell, the better. 

And then, he saw him. The man must have been about twenty years old. His almost white blond hair and bright blue eyes looked completely out of place in the market. He stood out amongst the dark hair and dirty clothes. And he looked almost exactly like his angel, but not quite. 

"You seem a bit lost." Crawly said with a smile as he walked up to the young man. 

"Oh yes. I'm meant to be at the synagogue right now but I got caught up in the crowd heading to the market." 

"I thought perhaps you didn't really belong here." Crawly nodded. "I can show you back the right direction if you like." 

"I really would appreciate that." The young man said. "Though I do take offense at you saying I don't belong here. Am I that obvious?" 

"You stick out like a sore thumb, dear boy." Crawly said with amusement. Oh and the young man blushed which made him that much more adorable. 

"I suppose I do." He said with a nod. "If you wouldn't mind, I'm most certainly late for temple..." 

"Right, of course. This way." Crawly started to walk in the right direction and the young man started to follow. "I'm Crawly, by the way." He offered over his shoulder. 

"Asriel." The young man offered with a bright smile. Oh he really was absolutely beautiful. There was a glow about him that told Crawly this wasn't just anyone. This was his angel. He was back in the world as this adorable being that didn't belong anywhere near this horrible city. He had another chance. It didn't take them very long at all to get to the synagogue and Crawly stayed just outside the grounds. 

"Perhaps I'll see you again." Crawly said with a slight bow. 

"I would like that very much." Asriel nodded before turning and going inside. Crawly watched him go and then went about his work a little happier. They were practically inseparable after that. Crawly was always nearby whenever Asriel would finish his work for the day. They would have dinner together and drink wine together and sometimes just go on walks together. It was wonderful. All the while Crawly was very careful about what he said or did around Asriel. The young man was obviously very religious and Crawly was getting a bit tired of having to come up with excuses on why he couldn't join him for worship. He didn't want to scare him away. 

"I'm sorry, angel, I just can't." Crawly sighed. 

"What......what did you say?" Asriel asked. Crawly's eyes went a bit wide when he realized what he'd said. 

"I said I can't." He cleared his throat. 

"No....I mean.....what did you call me?" Asriel just stared at Crawly. Crawly took a deep breath and let it out slowly, closing his eyes for a moment. 

"Angel. I'm sorry, it's a habit from another time..." He didn't want to look at Asriel, afraid of his reaction. They'd been spending time together for nearly three years and Crawly was very certain that it was about to come to an end. 

"You miserable fool, why didn't you say something sooner?" Asriel asked with a bright smile on his face. Crawly opened his eyes and raised an eyebrow, very confused. 

"I....what do you mean?" 

"We could have been together this whole time but instead you let me just stay hidden in here." He took both of Crawly's hands and kissed the backs before looking him in the eye. That's when Crawly saw it. Something that he hadn't seen before. It was....recognition. Not just of who he was but of what he was. 

"Zira?" He asked shakily as he reached one hand up to touch the pale, white cheek. Asriel nuzzled the hand and smiled softly. 

"My poor, sweet demon. I'm so terribly sorry to have kept you waiting. I promised you that we would be together again, didn't I?" Asriel said in a much more mature tone than Crawly was used to from him. Crawly pulled Asriel into a tight hug, burying his face against his neck and just holding onto him as if he were never going to let go. 

"I missed you so much, angel." He almost sobbed. 

"I know, my love, I know." Asriel reached up and ran his fingers through Crawly's hair while he cried. Crawly knew that this would just be a repeat of the first time. They would spend as much time together as they could before this body grew old and died. None of that mattered, though. At the moment all that mattered was that he had his Aziraphale back. They could sort out the rest later.


	4. 2012 BC

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another thousand years has passed.

It had taken another thousand years before they would meet again. Crowley, as he was now being called, wasn't searching for his angel. He knew that getting a second chance with him was lucky enough, getting a third was near impossible. He was very happy to have gotten the time that he had. A second chance was better than nothing. 

He was in a market in Greece when he saw her. This time she wasn't quite as out of place as the others had been, but she still stood out above the rest. Her long, blond hair was pulled back into a braid and her bright blue eyes sparkled like the ocean around them. There was no doubt in Crowley's mind at all that this was his angel. He had to be careful, though.

She appeared to be a rich man's daughter, accompanied by her older sisters on the pier. It would take quite a lot for Crowley to get close to her. He usually tried to blend in with the locals, other than his all black clothing of course. He didn't really go for looking like the rich man that he was. This was a completely different situation, though. A little suggestion and the sisters were busy while the young woman looked over some very fine fabrics that had just arrived from the East. 

"They are lovely, aren't they?" Crowley asked as he walked up, keeping his eyes on the fabric. He smiled when the young woman jumped and then laughed. 

"Yes, they are absolutely lovely." She ran her fingers over the nearest bolt of fabric. It was more brightly colored than anything she'd seen before. 

"Though nowhere near as lovely as you." Crowley said with a slight bow. The young woman blushed and giggled. It was beautiful. There was a glow about her that was almost identical to the one that had surrounded Asriel. 

"Why thank you, Mr....." She started, giving him a look. 

"Crowley." He offered her a deeper bow. 

"Thank you, Mr. Crowley. That's very sweet." She went back to searching the fabrics to see if there were any that she liked. 

"Might I be honored with the knowledge of your name, dear lady?" He asked as he watched her. She was gorgeous and didn't look anything like her sisters. 

"Astraia." She replied with a slight curtsy before offering her hand. 

"A beautiful name for a beautiful young lady." Crowley took the hand and bowed as he kissed the back, though he kept his eyes on her the entire time. Before either of them could say anything else, the older sisters came over and gave Crowley a dirty look. 

"If you wish to talk to our sister you will have to talk to our father first." The oldest one said. 

"I was simply offering to buy her whatever fabric her heart desires." Crowley said with a smile as he bowed yet again, this time keeping his eyes on the sisters. 

"Any fabric at all?" Astraia asked. Crowley looked at her with a nod. 

"Perhaps, my dear, something for your....wedding dress." He winked at her and she giggled a bit. Her sisters exchanged looks and then glared at Crowley, moving to be a bit more between him and her. 

"This one is so very lovely." She ran her fingers along a lovely cream fabric with beautiful gold and silver designs on it. 

"It is very expensive...." The salesman said as he watched the two of them. Crowley nodded and motioned for the sisters to get out of the way so he could approach the salesman. They reluctantly moved. 

"How much for the entire bolt?" He asked and all of the women gasped. Only the very richest of the city could afford that much of such a quality fabric. When the salesman gave Crowley a price that seemed outrageous to those standing around, he paid it without batting an eye. 

"That is most generous of you, sir." Astraia said as she curtsied once again. 

"There is nothing in this world that is too much for you, my dear." Crowley smiled. The sisters spoke amongst themselves for a moment before looking back at Crowley. 

"You will be at our house this evening for dinner." It was an order, not an invitation. 

"Of course." Once again Crowley bowed. He helped the ladies load the fabric onto their cart before leaving them to head home. He had quite a lot to prepare. 

"And what exactly are your intentions toward my daughter Astraia?" The severe man with the rather large mustache asked after a nice dinner and the women went to clean up the kitchen while the men talked business. 

"In no uncertain terms, sir, I plan to marry her." He kept his eyes locked on the man across from him. He was not going to show any kind of weakness. 

"And you can provide for her?" He crossed his arms as he stared at Crowley. He was definitely dressed like a rich man, and his daughters had told him about his stunt in the market. 

"She will want for nothing for the rest of her life." Crowley offered in response before sipping his glass of wine. 

"And what is her answer to this offer?" The man raised an eyebrow. 

"I do believe it is the custom to ask the father for permission before even mentioning marriage to the daughter?" Crowley asked with a slight smile. Though saying the fabric could be used for a wedding dress was a bit of a hint at least. The man just nodded and then got to his feet, offering a hand. 

"If my daughter is willing, I give my blessing." He said. Crowley got to his feet and took the offered hand. 

"She's definitely willing!" Astraia's mother called from the other room and Crowley couldn't help but laugh. Of course they'd been eavesdropping. Crowley wanted to stand on ceremony, though. He went into the room and took Astraia's hand. He got down on one knee and kissed the back of her hand. 

"Will you marry me, my angel?" He asked as he looked up at her. This took a little bit longer but soon enough, the recognition was there. It was his Aziraphale all over again. 

"I will." She said with a bright grin and Crowley got to his feet, pulling her into his arms. They would have many happy years together before nature inevitably took its course.


	5. 1512 BC

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Crowley finds Aziraphale in Egypt.

Crowley had been certain that his years with Astraia would be the last years he'd get to spend with his angel. There was no chance that he would run into him again. Even if the angel was reincarnated ad infinitum, the chances of running into that reincarnation were slim to none. There were simply too many people in the world and more were being added every day. 

The years went by and he was content to just go about being a demon. He'd gotten three chances to be with the one that he loved. Three beautiful chances with roughly four hundred combined years between them. It wasn't an eternity but it was as close as he was sure to get. And then it happened again. It had been five hundred years since the death of his lovely wife. Five hundred years of moving around and causing the trouble he was meant to cause. 

Crowley had gone to Thebes. There was a lot of political unrest in Egypt and it was easy to do some tempting and get some people headed to Hell. Especially in the polytheistic nation that was Egypt. Thebes was a grand city for the time and it was easy to get lost amongst the crowds. It was also easy to tempt people. Crowley was all for making his job easier. 

He was in the middle of yet another market when he got this feeling deep in his gut. There was something telling him that he absolutely needed to look up and to the left right that moment. Crowley never argued with his instinct. When he looked up and to the left, he saw her. There was that familiar glow again. The beautiful blond hair and deep blue eyes. His angel had returned to him yet again. She was a woman again, and looked as if she were a slave this time. He slowly made his way over to where the woman was standing. 

Crowley wanted to damage the woman's owner. To any casual observer she would look to be much older than the twenty five years that she'd actually lived. It was obvious that she'd been mistreated by her master and it was taking everything Crowley had to keep from beating the man to death in the middle of the market. He walked around the slave as if sizing her up. 

"Excuse me! That's my slave." The man said as he got closer to her. Crowley could see some bruises around the collar that the young woman wore. 

"What is your name, young lady?" Crowley asked gently. 

"Her name doesn't matter..." The man started. Crowley glared at the man and made a motion for him to shut up before looking at the girl again. 

"Your name?" He asked again, just as gently as before. The girl refused to meet his gaze. 

"I do not remember the name my parents gave me, but this one calls me Lapis. For my eyes." She said softly. Blue eyes were a rarity in this part of the world, after all. Crowley nodded and then looked at the man. 

"Name your price." He said, his tone leaving no room for argument. 

"She is not for sale. She is far too valuable to me." The man said. 

"You can either sell her to me, or you can die in the street. Take your pick." Crowley glared at the man again. If looks could kill, he'd have been dead on the spot. 

"I am not afraid of you." The man said as he drew his sword. 

"You very well should be." Crowley replied. His eyes glowed a deep red for a brief moment before he took out his purse. The man dropped his sword immediately. He muttered something that sounded like devil and then ran away screaming. The young woman still wouldn't look at him. She trembled a bit as he got closer. 

"Thank you." She said softly. Crowley used a gentle finger to lift her chin so he could look her in the eye. 

"I am going to take you home with me now, okay?" He asked. She wasn't used to being asked permission so she simply nodded. 

Crowley's house was very nice compared to the man that had originally owned her. He took her into his home and treated her better than anyone had her entire life. Crowley removed the collar and the wrist cuffs that her previous owner had given her. She was allowed to bathe and was even given new, clean clothes that were very fine and looked far too expensive for a slave to wear. 

"What are you doing?" Crowley asked as he watched her go into the kitchen and start cleaning up. 

"Is this not my duty?" She asked, looking at him. Crowley shook his head, going over to take her hands in his. 

"You are not here to cook and clean for me." He smiled. 

"I am afraid I am not skilled in much else...." She started with a bit of a blush, refusing to meet his gaze once again. Crowley closed his eyes for a moment and then opened them, squeezing her hands gently. 

"You've misunderstood my intentions. You're not here to serve me. You're here as my guest." He moved a bit of hair behind her ear. She was even more lovely now that she was cleaned up. 

"I don't understand...." She finally looked him in the eye. 

"You are no longer a slave. You're free. If you wish to leave, you may, and I will make sure you can provide for yourself if you must but I would ask you to please stay with me. At least for a little while." Crowley smiled. 

"I would like that very much." She nodded. "May I choose a new name?" 

"If that's what you wish. Might I make a suggestion?" Crowley still held one of her hands. 

"Of course. I've never chosen my own name so any suggestion will help a great deal." She smiled sweetly at him. Crowley's heart skipped a beat. She really was beautiful. 

"Perhaps the name Arrella." Crowley kept his eyes on hers as he said it. 

"It is very beautiful." She nodded. It was a name that she would most definitely consider. This was when Crowley took his chance. 

"It means.....angel." He said softly. The young woman just stared at him for a long moment. It was almost as if her brain were rewiring itself. After what felt like a lifetime had passed, she grinned and then put her hands on Crowley's cheeks. She pulled him into a tender kiss. 

"My love. I knew you'd find me again." She grinned up at him. "How long as it been this time?" 

"A little over five hundred years." Crowley answered, wrapping his arms around her. He sighed happily when she rested her head against his chest. 

"Sorry to have kept you waiting." She said with a sigh. 

"I'd wait an eternity for you if I had to, my love." Crowley answered. He rested his cheek against the top of her head and just held on tight, happy to have her back. Even if it was for only fifty or so more years.


	6. 1385BC

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Crowley tries to find a way to track down his love.

After getting a fourth chance with his love, Crowley started to wonder if there was perhaps a way that he could actually track Aziraphale down. He had the glow that he saw around everyone that turned out to be his angel. His instincts alerted him to whenever his angel was actually near. There had to be some way that he could actually find where his angel had turned up. 

The head office didn't seem to mind Crowley's dalliances with these various mortals. They always seemed to think that his involvement with them would assure another soul for Hell. They didn't realize that it was the same soul over and over and that it would never see the gates of Hell as long as Crowley had anything to do with it. He would never let his angel end up in a fiery pit. Even if it meant his own death. 

One thing that being a demon gave you was access to all the best people when it came to the supernatural. He could find shaman and witches and anything else that he might need to be able to track down his angel. He'd been able to track down a witch that might actually be able to help. She lived deep in the jungles and was far smarter than her primitive appearance would lead you to believe. 

"You bring a gift for me?" She asked as Crowley entered her tent. It was always a custom to bring a gift in exchange for a service. Crowley set a rather large ruby close to the fire in the middle of the tent. The woman picked it up and looked it over. She held it in her hands and closed her eyes, saying a few words. She then nodded and accepted the ruby, putting it on a log beside her. 

"What is it you seek?" She asked Crowley. She knew that he wasn't human. It was very obvious by his aura. He kept his eyes hidden from her. But he did not feel evil like some of the others did. She would do business with this one because he was not after her.

"I need a way to track a soul." He kept his eyes on hers. Any sign of fear and the deal would be undone. You could not be afraid of the witch if you wanted her magic to help you. 

"A lost soul is very hard to find." She said as she stared at him. 

"It is the soul of my love." He sighed softly. "I have come across it three times since his first death. I know what it feels like when he is near. I simply want to make sure that he is always near." Crowley pulled out a small pouch and held it out to the witch. Inside was a lock of Arrella's hair.

"You say he but this belongs to a woman." The witch said as she took the pouch from him. 

"He was originally a man, but his soul occasionally becomes a woman." Crowley nodded. He only knew of two times so far but there had to have been others. The witch nodded. 

"It is the way with souls. They know only love, the body does not matter." The witch smiled. She grabbed a small bowl made of fired mud and began to add some ingredients. She put the hair in the bowl with some leaves and a bit of ash from just outside the fire. 

"Your hand." She said softly as she picked up a rather large knife. Crowley didn't hesitate to hold out his hand. The witch took his hand and ran the knife across his palm. He hissed slightly but kept his hand still. Black blood spilled from the cut into the bowl, but the cut healed quickly. She said a few words as she held the bowl over the fire. After a few moments, she dumped the contents of the bowl onto the fire. It smoked and sparked and she waved her hands over it before looking at Crowley. 

"Come back in three days." She said with a resolute nod. Crowley nodded back as he got to his feet. Three days. He bowed to the witch and then left her tent. When the three days passed, Crowley made his way back to the witch's tent. 

"Come." She said softly and Crowley entered the tent. 

"You told me to return." He said softly as he took a seat. He watched as the witch pulled a small wooden object from a piece of cloth next to her. It was black and in the shape of a snake. It looked like it was hand carved. She held the snake out to Crowley. 

"I can not promise you will find your love, but I can promise you this will get you as near as it can. When you are ready to search for the soul that is lost, you think on it and you hold this in your hand. You think on it hard. It will tell you where to start looking." She said with a smile. Crowley wasn't really sure how it was going to work but he trusted the witch. He could feel the power radiating off of her. She was the real deal. 

"Thank you." Crowley said with a nod. He held the snake gently in his palm. Even if he didn't know exactly where his angel was, it was good to have a place to start. 

"In return, you will help me when my time comes, yes?" She asked as she got to her feet. Crowley got to his feet as well and nodded yet again. 

"Say my name when your time is near and I will come to help you along your way." Crowley offered her a bow. The witch simply nodded. Crowley gave her a small smile before he left. Now all he had to do was look for his angel.


	7. 1000 BC

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Crowley finds Aziraphale in a Norse village

It took Crowley quite a long time to gather up the nerve to actually try to use the talisman given to him by the witch. Nearly four hundred years to be exact. He'd been traveling all over the world in that time. There were temptations to be accomplished after all. And he needed to decide what exactly he wanted to do. If he really did want to track down his angel's soul or if he wanted to just leave it to happenstance that they would run into each other again. Finally, he made the decision to use the talisman and find his angel. 

He held the wooden snake in his hand and closed his eyes. He thought about Aziraphale and smiled. He went back over all of the time that he'd had with him. He thought about Asriel, Astraia, and Arrella. He remembered all the time that they'd had together. He then had the sudden urge to go up North. Very far up North. He slipped the talisman into his pocket and then headed to where his heart would lead him. 

It took a little over a month of traveling before he found himself in the middle of a village of Norsemen. Crowley wasn't sure what he had been expecting but this certainly wasn't it. He honestly wasn't even sure he was in the right village, he just knew that his angel was somewhere in the area. Crowley held the talisman in his hand again and closed his eyes as he stood in the middle of the village square. 

"Can I help you?" A voice asked from behind him. Crowley's eyes popped open and he turned with a smile on his face. There was that beautiful glow, those gorgeous blue eyes, that almost white blond hair. He was wonderful. 

"I'm just a little bit lost. Trying to find my way." Crowley smiled. This one would take a slightly different approach. He wouldn't be able to just say the word and get the man to remember him, but Crowley had a plan. "I think I've found it, though. Thank you." He said with a nod. 

"Are you sure?" The man asked. "I know this area very well. I can tell you how to get almost anywhere." He smiled brightly. Oh it really was his angel. Though Crowley hadn't been expecting the man to be quite so tall and muscular. It made things a little exciting. 

"I'm very sure, thank you." Crowley said with a quick bow before starting down the road out of the village. The gears were already turning on how he would approach the whole situation. 

He waited two weeks. He watched the village, the man that was his angel in particular. He enjoyed his drink, that was for sure, and he did like to go hunting, but he seemed to go home alone every night. He had no one in his house. His friends would even poke fun at him for not being married yet. This was extremely helpful information. Crowley also took the time to keep an eye on the women in the village. There were at least three that constantly tried to get the man's attention in a romantic way. He was a prized specimen after all. Crowley found himself getting jealous when they would fawn over him. When he had finally gathered what he considered to be enough information, he made his move. 

Being a woman seemed to be the best way to get his angel's attention in this particular case. Though Crowley had watched him give appreciative glances to some of the other men, he didn't seem to want to go to bed with any of them. Crowley was going to be a woman that any Norsemen would dream of taking for a wife. 

Her hair was down to her knees and pulled back into an intricate braid. She had the curves that indicated she had enough food but was muscular and strong. A woman that could do a man's work if needed. She went with bright green eyes to counter her flaming red hair. It was unseen in the area and made her stand out. As she walked into the village, all eyes were on her. The man that was her angel was standing talking to another man. They stared at Crowley for a moment and then the other man pushed the angel in her direction. 

"You carry yourself with confidence." He said with a smile as he approached her. 

"It comes from knowing what I want." Crowley smiled back, giving him a little curtsy. "My name is Ciarra." She smiled at him. 

"My name is Ingram." The man said with a bow. "And what is it that you want, Lady Ciarra?" He smiled back at her. 

"That is a very simple question to answer." Crowley said and slowly walked up to him. She put a hand over his heart and looked up into his eyes. It was very strange for Aziraphale to be taller than Crowley but he really didn't mind it at all. Ingram looked down at her hand and then looked into her eyes. 

"Is it, now?" He asked. He knew that she could probably feel his heart pounding in his chest. She was absolutely beautiful and so different from the other women in the village. They would have many strong sons together, he knew it. Rather than saying anything, Crowley slid her hand up to the back of his head and pulled him down into a heated kiss. There was cheering from all around them. Ingram put his arms around her and pulled her close, losing himself in the kiss. After a few moments, they parted and Crowley looked into Ingram's eyes. 

"Perhaps we could have this discussion in a more private setting?" She asked with a smirk. Ingram nodded and grinned evilly. Crowley let out a little shriek and then laughed as Ingram picked her up over his shoulder, lightly smacking her backside before carrying her off to his house. More cheers from the village men followed them as they went. 

"How have you heard of me?" Ingram asked as he set Crowley down on her feet. She straightened her dress a bit before smiling at him. 

"There was a man here a few weeks ago. He was my brother. He said you were very kind to him. He told me that I should come find you and snatch you up before any of the other women could." She blushed a little bit. "He's been trying to find me a husband for quite some time." 

"It was a very short meeting. How does he know I'm not a horrible person? I could beat you, treat you badly." Ingram crossed his arms as he looked at her. Crowley moved over and put her hands on his arms, looking up at him. 

"My brother is a very fine judge of character." She smiled. "He can tell just by looking at someone whether or not they have a good heart." 

"That is a very useful skill." Ingram said with a nod. 

"It is one of the reasons I was not married a long time ago." Crowley got Ingram to gently move his arms. She moved closer so that their bodies were touching, putting her hands on his shoulders. Her wrapped his arms around her and looked down at her, smiling a little bit. Crowley felt safe in his strong arms. 

"And he told you I am a good person?" Ingram asked, pulling Crowley a little bit closer. Crowley sighed happily and nodded. 

"He told me you were an angel." She kept her eyes locked on his as she said it. The brow furrowed and there was an obvious moment of confusion and then the recognition came again. The man that was now Aziraphale reached up a hand to place it on Crowley's cheek. 

"You are very beautiful, my love." He smiled brightly. "How long has it been this time?" 

"Quite a long time. I kind of lost track." She chuckled softly. "Are you going to ask me that every time?" 

"I believe I will, yes." Aziraphale nodded and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. "They will all be happy to see Ingram married. He's been very lonely for quite a long time." At least a long time for a human anyway. "Though I do wonder how we will explain them not having children." 

"Miracles do happen." Crowley said with a smirk and a wink. One strong son was all they really needed to get everyone off their back, after all. 

"You are very right about that, my love." Aziraphale said before giving Crowley a passionate kiss. 

Crowley fully intended to make sure that at least one child came from their union, no matter what it would take. The fates did not agree with that decision, however. They had been married only a few weeks when Aziraphale was sent away with a raiding party. The only thing that would return from the raid was his sword and his shield. Crowley stayed in the village until she could no longer hide the fact that she wasn't aging, ignoring every attempt from other young warriors to take her as a wife.


	8. 41 AD

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Crowley and Aziraphale meet in Rome

Crowley needed time. After the death of his Viking husband, he'd given himself a hundred years before looking for Aziraphale again. It gave enough time for his angel to be reborn and grow to adulthood. It almost guaranteed it. The problem was that Crowley had waited too long. He'd found Aziraphale in what would come to be called Ireland. He was a sickly thing in this life. 

"My poor angel." Crowley said as soon as he entered the room where the man lay in bed. He'd very obviously spent most of his life in that bed. Crowley took a seat next to the bed and took Aziraphale's hand. 

"I'm so sorry, my love." He tried to sit up but Crowley stopped him. 

"Rest, angel." Crowley reached up and gently stroked his hair. "It's okay." He smiled softly, though the smile didn't reach his eyes. 

"It seems that our time together gets shorter and shorter." Aziraphale whispered. Crowley leaned down and kissed his forehead. 

"We'll meet again. I promise that. For now you just need to rest, okay?" It was taking everything Crowley had to keep from falling apart. He could tell that it wouldn't be much longer for this particular life. He was far too gone for Crowley to be able to heal him. 

"I love you." Aziraphale said with a small smile before he closed his eyes. Crowley had been very aware of the fact that those were the last words his angel would say to him before moving on to the next life. He just stayed there, holding his hand until someone came in to check on him. Crowley left with tears rolling down his cheeks. 

"You're a cruel bitch, you know that?" He muttered to the sky before he went on his way. 

He needed time. If he searched out Aziraphale yet again and the angel died so shortly after they found each other he wasn't sure that he would stay entirely sane. The talisman stayed on Crowley's person but tucked away as he moved through the world. He needed a chance to recharge. To get his emotions somewhat under control before he searched for Aziraphale again. Another thousand years passed before he even thought about being with his angel again. 

He was sitting in a bar in Rome when that feeling that he needed to look up hit him again. There was a young man with white blond hair and bright blue eyes sitting just a few tables away playing some sort of game. It looked like the game should have been played by two people but the young man was attempting to play it by himself. The image made Crowley smile. He took the jug and the two cups and made his way over to the table. 

"It looks like you could use a partner." Crowley said with a smile. The young man looked up at him and nodded. 

"It would make the game a bit more interesting, yes." He grinned and motioned for Crowley to sit across from him. "My name is Aurelius." 

"It's very nice to meet you, Aurelius. My name is Crowley." He filled the two cups before setting the jug on the floor next to them. "You'll have to teach me how to play." He indicated the table. He smiled when Aurelius brightened up. 

"Oh, it is quite fun." Aurelius said with a radiant smile. It was very hard for Crowley to stay sad when he was faced with that smile. Crowley listened intently as Aurelius explained how the game worked. It was adorable watching him. He was so enthusiastic. Crowley did ask a couple of questions and then they started to play. Crowley let Aurelius win, of course. 

"You're right. That was quite fun." He said after they'd finished the entire jug and spent quite a while playing the game.

"It is one of my favorite things to do. I just don't have many people to play it with me." He nodded. 

"Well, you do now." Crowley smiled as he got to his feet. Aurelius got to his feet as well and looked down for a moment before finally getting up his nerve and looking at Crowley. 

"I have a board similar to this at my house. If you'd like to play some more...." Aurelius asked. Crowley smiled and nodded. 

"I would like that very much." He said. Aurelius smiled at him again and he just melted. That beautiful smile. Even when the faces were different, the smile was identical. 

It turned out that Aurelius really had no intention of the two of them playing the game anymore. As soon as they were inside his home, he pulled Crowley into a heated kiss. Crowley had been surprised at first but he wrapped his arms around Aurelius and kissed back. What was supposed to be more time playing a rather fun game turned into a few hours of sweaty passion in Aurelius' bedroom. They explored each other rather thoroughly before finally taking a rest. 

"You are rather good at that." Crowley said as he ran his fingers through Aurelius' hair. The young man had his head rested on Crowley's chest. They were both naked and sweaty and smiling. 

"Thank you." Aurelius said. He lifted his head to kiss Crowley's chest. "Though I don't usually do that immediately after meeting someone." He chuckled. 

"There's a first time for everything, angel." Crowley said with a grin. Aurelius looked up at him and just stared at him for a moment. Crowley had noticed that it happened a lot. It would look like the person's brain was shutting down and then starting up again. And then there was his angel. 

"You're very naughty, you know?" Aziraphale said with a grin before kissing Crowley. "Taking advantage of him like that." 

"As if you didn't enjoy it." Crowley said with a chuckle. He kissed Aziraphale again. 

"It was quite wonderful." He smiled and rested his head on Crowley's chest again. "And how long has it been this time, my love?" 

"A little over a thousand years." Crowley said and cleared his throat. 

"I am very sorry for that." Aziraphale said softly. 

"Nothing to be sorry for, my love. I needed a break for a bit. I'm better now, though." Crowley replied. Aziraphale just nodded and held onto Crowley for a long moment. That was just the first of many, many nights together, though not anywhere near as many as Crowley would have liked.


	9. 541 AD

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Crowley finds Aziraphale in a knight

Crowley had actually gotten quite a long time with Aurelius in the grand scheme of things. Aurelius had lived to nearly 80 years old. It was more than Crowley could have hoped for. They had been so very happy together. Everything was wonderful until the very end.

Hell was starting to get a bit antsy when it came to Crowley spending time with humans. It had been tolerated at first but it was starting to get in the way of his actual demonic duties. He had to appease them for a while before he could spend time with his angel again. It was five hundred years before he decided to go looking for Aziraphale. Hell was happy that he had been back to work and would leave him alone for a little bit. 

Of course his angel was a knight. That didn't surprise him at all. He was noble and brave and kind and just wonderful. And Crowley knew what he would need to do to get his angel's attention. Though the man didn't know he was an angel just yet. 

Crowley's hair was very long, down to below his waist. It was pulled back into an intricate braid. A beautiful black dress that was tight from the waist up and flowing from the waist down. She wore just enough jewelry to let it be known that she was noble but not enough to make herself out to be royalty. She didn't want to draw the wrong attention. 

"Are you in need of assistance, m'lady?" The man known as Agravain asked. Crowley gave a deep curtsy and smiled up at him. 

"I am a bit far from my home, I'm afraid." She said as she stood back up straight. She looked him in the eye, which was different than any other woman he'd come across. 

"Are you trying to get back to this home of yours?" He almost sounded disappointed as he looked at her. She shook her head and offered him a small smile. 

"My father is a very unpleasant man. As is the man he intends me to marry. I am not going back there." She stepped a little closer to him. "Perhaps, kind sir, you could assist me in finding somewhere to live in this wonderful country of yours?" She batted her eyelashes at him. 

"I think that could very possibly be arranged." Agravain said with a bow. Crowley moved a bit closer to him. 

"Thank you, kind sir." She curtsied again. 

"I can take you back to the palace and see if my Lord will give you a room, at least for the night." Agravain offered his arm to the young woman in front of him. She took it and he smiled brightly. The exact same smile. 

"I do believe, kind sir, that you are an angel." Crowley looked at him and just watched as everything clicked. This time it didn't take as long as it usually did. Aziraphale reached up and touched Crowley's cheek. 

"You are beautiful, my dear." He said. Crowley nuzzled the hand on his cheek. 

"Thank you, my love." She smiled up at him. 

"And how long has it been this time?" He gently stroked her cheek with his thumb as he looked into her eyes. 

"About five hundred years. I had to get back to work for a while." She turned her face to kiss the palm of his hand. 

"I'm glad you have a chance to take a break, then." Aziraphale smiled. He wanted to take her into his arms and kiss her with everything that he had. It wouldn't have been proper for the time, though. 

"We're going to have to actually get married in this life." Crowley chuckled softly. 

"I have no problem with that at all." Aziraphale smiled. This time he did lean in to kiss Crowley lightly on the lips. Crowley sighed happily. He was convinced they would have a long life together, forgetting that his love was a knight and that knights often got called into battle. This time he did manage to get an entire year with Aziraphale before his angel went away to fight and didn't return.


	10. 543 AD

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Crowley lashes out

After Aziraphale's most recent death, Crowley found herself unexpectedly angry. Yes, the angel's time had been cut short again but that came with being human. And with being brave and kind and wanting to help other people. But Crowley was most definitely very angry, and she was angry at the man that sent Aziraphale off to be killed. 

"I do not care if you're the bloody king of England, my husband is dead because of you!" She screamed at Arthur. With a snap of her fingers she could rip him apart but she wouldn't do that. That would be too quick, too easy. 

"I am very sorry, m'lady. He fought bravely...." Arthur started. 

"Don't give me that. Do not say that. I know he fought bravely. That's who he was. Your job was to make sure that he came back alive. A job you failed at miserably." Crowley started to pace. Oh the things she wanted to do to him. The many, many different ways she wanted to hurt him. 

"You need not fear for your own safety, m'lady. We will be sure that you're cared for." Arthur was sure that's what she was worried about. 

"Like you cared for my husband?" Crowley glared at him. "I can very well take care of myself. I've been doing it for more years than you even know." 

"I do not understand why you let her speak to you this way, my Lord." Lancelot whispered to Arthur. 

"Because she is in pain. Can you not see it clearly? She has just lost her husband, good sir. Let her be." Arthur replied. Lancelot just nodded and left them to their conversation. 

"If I could bring your husband back, m'lady, I most certainly would. He was a fine man." Arthur sighed softly. 

"But you can't. You can't bring him back. He's gone and there's nothing that you can do about it. You offer me protection but I don't want protection from you. Protection from you is why I am currently a widow." Crowley stopped pacing and just stared at Arthur for a long moment and then she smiled. She knew how humans worked. More specifically, how their minds worked. How one little suggestion could be brought into being just by a human being paranoid it might actually happen. 

"You will know my pain, Arthur. You will know the loss of love but it will be far worse than this. For you will know the pain of love's betrayal. You will know what it is like to have your heart ripped from your chest and stomped on, but it will be done by one who is still alive. You will watch her from a distance, happy with another man and there will be absolutely nothing you can do about it." Crowley then turned and started to leave. Arthur just stared at her as she walked out. Crowley was satisfied that Arthur would bring about his own undoing. 

Once all of the anger had finally been unleashed the sadness finally crept in. Crowley gathered all of her things and left the castle, tears streaming down her cheeks as she did. She had to get away from the place that held the happy memories of her most recent time with her angel. It was time to get lost in the work again. To fully concentrate on doing the devil's work. She was completely unsure how long it would be before she was able to look for her angel again.


	11. 1349 AD

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Crowley tries to help with the plague

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This does deal with the plague ravaging Europe. I am warning you about the mention of children dying and of other people being very sick.

There was no searching for the angel this time. Crowley had managed to go eight hundred years without wanting to look. He found himself still very angry at Arthur. He just focused on his work and got the tempting done that needed to be done. Got the little irritations that caused a lot of people to be very angry under way. And right as he felt like he could handle seeing his angel again, the plague happened. 

He wasn't supposed to be helping. The plague was something that Hell would rejoice over. The humans doing things to themselves and ending up in Hell because of it. But he couldn't just stand by and watch thousands upon thousands of humans die simply because of dirty living situations. Most of them had no control over it. And then there were the kids. There was no way in Heaven or Hell that Crowley could just stand by and watch as all those kids died of this stupid illness. 

Crowley would go through the worst parts of London with the highest infection rates and somehow, miraculously, all the children would survive. Well, most of them. Crowley couldn't get to every single child before it was too late and it seriously broke his heart. He just stood over a crib, crying over a baby that he'd been too late to save. The parents had been dead for a while. He wasn't even sure if the child died from the disease or simply from neglect because of dead parents. 

After a long day of trying to save as many children as he could, he needed a break. He found his way into the nicer part of town. The part of town that was cleaner and easier to keep the disease away. He desperately needed a drink. When he stepped into the bar and felt the need to look up immediately, his heart started to pound in his chest. His angel was there, he knew it. He looked up and saw the glow from a lovely man sitting at the bar and sipping from a glass of red wine. His lovely blonde hair and beautiful blue eyes like a port in a storm. Crowley walked over and sat down at the bar as well with just a stool between them. 

"You look as if you've had a very rough day." The man said as he looked over Crowley. 

"It's been a long one, yeah." Crowley said with a nod. He ordered a whiskey and told the bar keep to leave the bottle. He did at least pour some into the glass before downing all of it and refilling. 

"I've been told that I am an excellent listener." The man said as he moved over to sit right next to Crowley. Their knees brushed and Crowley had to down another glass of whiskey to keep himself under control. 

"I'm a doctor." Was all that Crowley said in response, looking at the man with a sort of haunted look in his eyes. 

"Oh. That must be dreadful in this day and age." The man didn't hesitated to pat Crowley on the shoulder. It was an interesting gesture from a complete stranger. 

"Very." Was all Crowley said in return. They ended up sitting together in the bar just drinking, him with his wine and Crowley with his whiskey. They didn't talk much and it was actually a comfort. Crowley enjoyed the fact that he was just there. He would occasionally try to take Crowley's mind off of things with some story or another but him just being that close was all he needed. 

"I've just realized that I never actually introduced myself. How rude of me." The man said. They'd been talking literally for hours. 

"It's alright, really." Crowley offered him a smile, though it didn't go past his lips. 

"Well, it is still very rude." The man nodded. "Alexander Fell." He smiled and offered his hand. Crowley took the hand and pondered for a moment. 

"Anthony Crowley." He returned and then went back to drinking his whiskey. They talked for a while longer and then the bar keep told them he was closing up and they'd need to leave. They had completely lost track of time. 

"Perhaps, Mr. Crowley, I could walk you back to your flat? You look absolutely exhausted and I would hate to find out something happened to you along the way." Alexander smiled. It was that same beautiful smile. Crowley looked at him for a moment before he nodded. 

"I would greatly appreciate that." He replied with a smile. The walk to Crowley's flat was made in a comfortable silence. He did notice that Alexander would occasionally 'accidentally' brush his fingers against Crowley's. It was nice. 

"Here we are." Crowley motioned to the nearest door. "Home safe and sound." He chuckled. 

"Yes, quite." Alexander looked at the door and then looked at Crowley. He really didn't want to go home just yet. "Safe and sound." 

"Would you like to come in for some tea, angel?" Crowley asked, eyes locked on Alexander's. And there was that familiar look. The shutting down and starting up again. 

"That would be ever so lovely." Aziraphale replied. Crowley offered his arm and the two of them went into his flat. They did have some tea but things soon moved into the bedroom for a night of passion that Crowley had desperately needed without realizing it until it happened. Laying in bed with his angel in his arms, the sunlight moving across the bed as it rose, he was happier than he'd been in a very long time. 

His angel wanted to help. Wanted to be of any kind of assistance when it came to the horribleness that was sweeping the whole of Britain. Crowley allowed him to accompany him, and did everything he could to keep his angel safe. But mortality was something that Crowley couldn't win against. It was toward the very end of the epidemic when Alexander started to show the signs. He'd been around it far too much, even with all of the protection that was offered at the time. Crowley did everything he could to heal his angel but it wasn't enough. He couldn't save him no matter how hard he tried. Of everything that had happened in all of Aziraphale's lives, Crowley felt like this one was the worst.


	12. 1601 AD

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Crowley finds an interesting new actor at The Globe

Crowley had been to several of Shakespeare's plays since the Globe Theatre opened two years before. They were very good places to get people to do things that would guarantee souls for Hell. There were lots of opportunities. He didn't go to the theater every day, but at least once a week. 

He was able to lose himself in the plays, though he didn't like the gloomy ones very much. At least they were well written. Shakespeare had a gift, Crowley could give him that. He'd even talked to the man a few times. The crowd was a bit thin at this particular performance and Crowley was having a hard time paying attention. 

"Good sir, I have noticed you seem a bit....well....bored." Shakespeare said as he approached Crowley. 

"Just a bit." Crowley acknowledged. "But it is not the play. I have quite a lot on my mind at the moment. It's very difficult to concentrate." 

"Ah, I see. There is some news that might help with your concentration." Shakespeare grinned. "I have a new actor. He is very good. Fills the feminine rolls quite beautifully." 

"I look forward to seeing him." Crowley gave a slight bow and then Shakespeare was off. Crowley never understood having men play the female parts when women were just as smart, or possibly more so, than men. They could easily play the parts. His heart stopped beating in his chest when the man that was playing Ophelia came out onto the stage. The beautiful blonde hair, the bright blue eyes. The glow that was unmistakable. It was his angel. Crowley's eyes were glued to the stage after that. He couldn't take his eyes off of his beautiful angel. Crowley actually cried at Ophelia's death scene. He wouldn't admit that it was because he'd seen that so many times before already. When the play was over, Crowley applauded louder than anyone else in the theater. 

"So you enjoyed the performance?" Shakespeare asked as he approached Crowley who had stayed behind after everyone else cleared out. 

"Immensely." Crowley said with a nod. "I would ask, sir, if I might meet that wonderful actor. He was rather lovely, and very talented." 

"Of course, of course." Shakespeare nodded and escorted Crowley backstage. Giving money to the playwright tended to get you access that nobody else got. 

"Master Crowley, I would like to present to you Astra Fletcher." Shakespeare said. "Mr Fletcher, this is one of our patrons. He wanted to speak with you." 

"A pleasure to meet you, sir." Astra said as he gave a little bow. 

"The pleasure is all mine, believe me." Crowley smiled at him. He really was beautiful. He'd even let his hair grow long to better suit the female parts. It was wonderful. Crowley turned to Shakespeare. "Perhaps I could have a moment alone with him?" 

"Absolutely." Shakespeare nodded and then left the dressing room. Crowley just looked at Astra for a long moment. 

"You are beautiful." Crowley said softly, taking in the full view of him. 

"I have been told that quite a lot in my life." Astra said with a slight chuckle. People tended to call him beautiful more often than handsome. "Some have suggested that I was born with the wrong parts in place." 

"Every part looks absolutely perfectly placed to me." Crowley nodded. He moved closer to Astra and reached up to lightly stroke his cheek. "In fact, I would say you look like an angel." He smiled. This time things happened a little differently. Rather than him looking like he shut down and then restarted, the recognition just immediately came into his eyes and he smiled. 

"Crowley...." He reached up and took the hand on his cheek, kissing the palm gently. "How long has it been, my love?" 

"Only about a hundred and fifty years this time." Crowley said with a slight smile. 

"You make it sound as if it were the blink of an eye." Aziraphale shook his head. 

"For me, that is." He shrugged. He hadn't been expecting to find his angel again so soon but now that he had, he was happy. 

"I suppose you're correct." Aziraphale nodded, giving Crowley a quick kiss on the lips. "Will Mr Shakespeare be disappointed that he's lost one of his best actors?" He raised an eyebrow. Crowley shook his head. 

"Absolutely not. I want you to stay and perform as much as you want. And....perhaps...bring one or two of your dresses home with you." Crowley gave him a wink and Aziraphale blushed. 

"I might be able to do that." Aziraphale nodded. 

"Now, let me go tell Shakespeare the good news, that I will most definitely be funding him for the foreseeable future." Crowley gave Aziraphale another quick kiss. "And then I will steal you away to my flat and we shall see where the night takes us." 

"That sounds like a wonderful plan." Aziraphale nodded. He gave Crowley one more kiss before letting him go talk to Shakespeare. After the arrangements were made for Crowley to continue to give Shakespeare money, he took Aziraphale back to his flat and they spent the evening making love. 

Crowley attended almost every single one of Aziraphale's performances. They would sometimes steal romantic moments in the wings or back in the dressing room. Everything was going wonderfully. They'd had more than a decade together when Crowley was called away on official Hell business. 

He didn't return until the summer, coming back to London at the very end of June. He knew that Aziraphale wasn't at home and so he went to see if he could find him at the theater. His heart sank when he got there and the theater was absolutely destroyed. 

"Master Crowley." Shakespeare said as he approached the man. "I had no way to contact you. There was nowhere to send the message...." He started. Crowley grabbed Shakespeare's tunic and actually lifted him off the ground. 

"Where is he?" He growled as he looked up at the man. 

"I am dreadfully sorry, Master Crowley. He was....caught in the fire." Shakespeare's voice cracked a little bit. He had truly cared for Astra. It took everything Crowley had to keep from throwing Shakespeare across the street and into the next building. He put him down and took a deep breath, closing his eyes. 

"Are you telling me that he's dead?" Crowley kept his eyes closed, his fists clenched at his sides. 

"It would have taken an absolute miracle for him to survive. I'm sorry." Shakespeare looked over at the rubble that was the theater. Crowley took a deep breath and let it out slowly. If he'd been there, Aziraphale would still be alive. 

"Find his body." Crowley said before he stormed off to get very, very drunk. He was going to give his angel a proper funeral no matter what it took. He didn't care if all he was burying was a pile of ash.


	13. 1725 AD

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Crowley takes advantage of piracy

Cassandra Crowley was known as the scourge of the Caribbean. She was not to be rivaled when it came to piracy. Her crew were completely loyal. The few that had been captured were hanged without ever saying anything about their captain. Hell, of course, was rather pleased with Crowley. She was corrupting young men by making them members of her crew and those that she plundered often wanted revenge. It was a win win situation. And it helped that it was a ridiculous amount of fun. 

One thing that was certain, though, was her weakness for blondes. It was something that had gotten around. She would capture a vessel and any blonde young men were allowed to leave the ship unharmed. There had been a few of the men that she'd released that tried to join her crew. She was very beautiful, after all. And she treated her crew very well. It was rumored that she never kept any of the spoils for herself. It was all divided up amongst the crew. It was why her crew was so loyal. 

She'd been a very successful pirate over the ten years that she'd been doing it. No one knew the real story behind how she came to be captain of the ship known only as the Principality. The figurehead was a blonde woman with bright blue eyes and a soft smile. She was said to bring good fortune to her captain and crew and that had been the case so far. There were even rumors that Crowley and her crew were not human at all. None of them ever got injured in raids and a few even miraculously survived the gallows. She hated that she hadn't been able to save them all. 

The problem with being the most wanted pirate captain in all of the Caribbean, and having a weakness that was known throughout the islands, was that eventually it was bound to be used against her. They had just left their base off one of the little known islands in the area when they came across a rather promising vessel. It was English, that much was obvious. And it was a very expensive ship. It also didn't appear to have any canons, but looks could be deceiving. 

"Shall we attack, Captain?" Her first mate asked as they watched the ship from a distance. 

"I think we shall." Crowley replied and smiled at him. The men were itching for a fight. They'd spent a week on the island and they were starting to get antsy. 

"You heard her, men! Ready the canons!" The first mate called as he ran down the steep stairs from the steering wheel. Crowley turned the wheel and started them off in the right direction. She was pretty sure that this wasn't going to be just a simple plunder and go but there was something that kept telling her she needed to go that direction. 

"Are you on that ship, angel?" She asked quietly as she watched her men get to work. She really did care about all of her men. She was constantly performing the miracles necessary to keep them safe, even if Hell frowned upon that particular miracle when they actually paid attention. 

When they got within canon range, Crowley wasn't the least bit surprised that the ship had actually been armed and the canons had been hidden well. The ship was larger than the Principality and heavily out gunned her. She looked at her crew and then looked at the other ship. 

"Men, stand down." She called. It wasn't a command she gave lightly. Her men just looked at her for a moment, then looked at the other ship. They trusted their captain. The first mate quickly made his way up to the crow's nest as soon as it was obvious the other ship was getting ready to fire. He looked down at Crowley who nodded before he waved the white flag of surrender. No one argued. The other ship would have decimated the Principality with it's large number of canons. 

"I must apologize, men. I know you were hoping for one last haul but it appears we're gravely outnumbered." She started to make her way down to the deck to stand with them. 

"It's alright, Captain." One of the men said. Others nodded in agreement. 

"You really are the best crew." Crowley smiled at them. 

"Who is the captain of this vessel?" A voice called from the other ship. Crowley looked up and there he was. Her angel. He was obviously the captain by the way he was dressed. Of course it would be her angel that would end her pirating career. 

"I am." She said as she stepped forward. 

"And do you surrender unconditionally?" He asked as he looked down at her from his ship. 

"I'm afraid I do have one condition." She ran her fingers through her hair as she looked up at him. He really was beautiful. 

"And what is this one condition?" He raised an eyebrow. 

"That you allow my men to go free." She waved them off as they started to protest. Crowley climbed up on the rail and held onto one of the ropes leading up to the sails. 

"Pardon?" The man asked, shocked. 

"My men were only following my orders. I threatened the lot of them. Told them I would kill them if they didn't obey. I did actually murder one right in front of them to keep them in line." She called back to the other man. "So really, they're my prisoners. They shouldn't be punished for what I forced them to do." She looked at her men and gave them a look they all recognized. 

"Is this true?" The man called as he looked down at her crew. All of them nodded, though a couple did so hesitantly. "Very well." The man said as he looked back at Crowley. "If you surrender yourself for the punishment of the King, then your men shall be allowed to go free." He nodded. Crowley could only hope that he was a man of his word. 

"Captain, you can't...." The first mate said quietly. 

"It's been a good run, lads. You've given me the time of my life." She patted his cheek. "Go, live your lives. You've got more than enough money to retire, all of you." She smiled a little and the first mate nodded. Crowley didn't even bother to wait for a plank to be put between the two ships. She climbed up one of the shrouds and then used a rope to swing across to the other ship. As soon as she landed there were about a dozen swords pointed at her. She held up her hands and smiled at all the men. 

"I'm unarmed." She said with a small smile. 

"I'm sure they can see that." The man that was her angel said as he made his way through the men. She kept her hands where he could see them and he looked her up and down for a moment. She really was beautiful. Her long, bright red hair hung loose and curly, moving with the sea breeze. She wore a skirt that only went to her knees and long boots that disappeared under the skirt. Her shirt was that of a man and was a little too big, though her belt cinched the shirt in a way that accentuated her breasts. 

"And what are you going to do with me, Captain?" She asked a little flirtatiously. 

"I am going to take you into my office and interrogate you." He said as he took her by the arm and started to pull her along. She just kept looking at him. The uniform suited him very well. All of the men watched as he took Crowley into his office and then shut the door. 

Crowley wasn't a bit surprised when, as soon as they were in private, the captain smiled at her. He gently pushed her back against the door, his hands on either side of her head. 

"I've heard stories about you, Captain Crowley." He said as he blatantly looked down her shirt. 

"Have you, now?" She just let him look. She could change his attitude with a single word but she was actually kind of enjoying the moment. 

"I've heard that you have a weakness for blonde men." He leaned in a little, getting his lips very near her neck. It was making her heart pound. 

"That I do." She nodded. "My very first love was a blonde man and I've never really gotten over him." She closed her eyes as he kissed her neck, slowly moving up to her earlobe. She shouldn't be enjoying this but she absolutely was. 

"And what happened to him?" The captain asked before kissing her ear and then moving back to look her in the eye. 

"He died." She said matter of factly. 

"That sounds horrible. Is that when you began your life of piracy?" The captain smiled at her again. 

"No. It was a few years later." She cleared her throat. That wasn't a lie at all. "So.....captain.....might I ask what this interrogation is going to entail?" She smirked. "Would you like to bend me over your desk and spank me until I confess?" She put her hands on his chest. 

"Perhaps." The captain smiled. 

"Or maybe you have something else in mind once you get me into that vulnerable position." She slid one hand down and started to rub his crotch. He closed his eyes and moaned softly. It was obvious that he was turned on by the whole situation. 

"You are a very beautiful woman." His eyes went to her breasts again. She'd rather been hoping that this incarnation of her angel wouldn't be a typical English Captain but she wasn't entirely disappointed that he was. 

"And you are a complete angel." She said as she rubbed him a little harder. It was a treat watching the realization come into his eyes as they clouded over with lust. He didn't say a word, just claimed her mouth with his own, his hands moving down to her hips. They finally parted when he needed air. 

"You're absolutely evil." Aziraphale said with a slight chuckle. 

"I am a demon, my love." Crowley said. "It's in the job description." 

"That is very true." Aziraphale said, giving her another quick kiss. "So, what are we going to do? I can't exactly let you escape." 

"The first thing we're going to do is take care of that little problem you're having." She gave his crotch a gentle squeeze and he moaned softly. "Or should I say big problem?" She smirked. 

"And how exactly do you want to take care of it?" Aziraphale smirked right back. 

"I really do like the idea of you bending me over that desk....." She looked over his shoulder at the desk in the middle of the room before looking back at him. "I can even pretend to protest if you think it'll help you out with your men." 

"I don't think that'll be necessary." He shook his head. He didn't like the idea of anyone thinking he'd forced her to do anything. 

"So, you bend me over the desk and have your way with me, then we'll work out what we do from there." Crowley grinned and kissed him one more time before she ducked under his arm and went around to the desk. 

The rest of the voyage back to England, Crowley was "confined" to the captain's quarters. It was pretty obvious what was going on to all the men. Captain was taking advantage of a woman being on the ship and none of them blamed him. When they got to port, Crowley somehow managed to escape. She disappeared into a crowd and was never found. The captain was forced to retire for his mistake. 

They met up on one of the many tiny islands in the Caribbean that nobody knew existed. Crowley had stashed some of the booty from her various pillaging on the island and not even her men knew about it. Just a few miracles and they had everything they needed for a lovely life together. It was one of the few times that Crowley actually got several decades with her angel before old age finally claimed him. Aziraphale never found out that little miracles here and there were what kept him alive until he was eighty.


	14. 1863 AD

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Crowley is a little too early this time.

Crowley had actually been searching for Aziraphale this time. The talisman that he'd been given was telling him exactly where to go. Who to look for. He assumed it had been long enough that he would be able to find his love as an adult. When he walked into St James Park, the feeling to look up hit him rather sharply. The talisman was spot on. His angel was in the park. He smiled a little before looking up. The smile faded, though, as soon as he saw the lovely golden glow coming off a woman that was very much not blonde. 

She was sitting on a park bench and watching the people go by. Her back was to Crowley just then but the glow was definitely there. She was wearing a black dress in a style that indicated she had money. Her dark hair was pinned up under a hat with a black lace veil. She'd lost someone recently, of that he was certain. He was still very confused about the glow that indicated his angel until he started to move closer and got a view of her front. The woman was very heavily pregnant. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He thought it would be best to just leave her alone, let his angel grow up and then try again. That was until he noticed that the woman was crying. 

"I'm terribly sorry to bother you, miss, but are you quite alright?" He asked as he slowly approached her bench. He could see the glint of her wedding ring as she held onto a handkerchief. 

"I'm fine." She cleared her throat and wiped at her eyes under her veil. 

"I couldn't help but notice that you're crying." He moved a little closer. "And I believe I'd be no gentleman at all if I didn't at least stop to inquire the cause. If you're willing to share, of course." He made sure to stay far enough away that she wouldn't be uncomfortable with his presence, but close enough that they wouldn't have to speak loudly. She was quiet for a few moments and then looked up at Crowley. 

"Today would have been my husband's 25th birthday." She said before clearing her throat. Crowley could tell she was trying to keep the tears at bay. 

"I'm very sorry for your loss." He offered. He wasn't quite sure why he was being so nice. Hell would definitely be angry with him if they found out. "May I ask how he died? I will completely understand if you wish not to answer." 

"We were living in America in Boston. My husband was....well, he wasn't a quiet man when it came to what he believed in. He always fought. He joined the army in the North." She cleared her throat again. "I received the notice of his death just shortly before finding out he was going to be a father." She ran her hand over her belly. Crowley moved closer and took a seat on the bench next to her. 

"I am so terribly sorry." He sighed. "It's a horrible thing, to lose the one you love like that." He took his hat off and placed it in his lap. 

"Do you have experience in this area?" She asked. "I apologize if it's too personal...." Crowley smiled a little. 

"After what you've just told me, I think it wouldn't be at all too personal to answer your question." He cleared his throat. "I do have first hand experience. My wife died recently." At least it was recently for him. 

"Do you have any children?" She looked down at her belly and then back up at Crowley. 

"No. She wasn't in the best of health when we married. Children were never a possibility." He cleared his throat himself, suddenly getting emotional. They were both quiet for a few moments. "I'm being terribly rude, I haven't introduced myself." Crowley offered a hand. "I'm Anthony Crowley." 

"Abigail Rausing." She took the offered hand and Crowley kissed the back, smiling at her. 

"It's very nice to meet you, Mrs Rausing, even given the circumstances." Crowley gave her a little bow as he sat next to her. They actually ended up spending the rest of the afternoon on the bench talking. It was a lovely day and the conversation was wonderful. Crowley even insisted on walking her home. 

"Would it be too much to ask if I might see you again Mr Crowley?" Abigail blushed slightly as she asked the question. 

"It wouldn't be too much at all, Mrs Rausing. I'd be delighted to call on you again." Crowley gave her a little bow. 

"I look forward to it." Abigail said before going into her house. A fast friendship formed and they spent as much time together as possible over the next few weeks. Crowley was even one of the first invited to meet the baby after it was born. A lovely little boy named after his father, of course. Crowley and Abigail remained good friends. He even became a sort of surrogate father for the young man that was his angel reincarnated. They stayed close even after Abigail remarried. 

Through the entire time that Crowley knew both Abigail and her son, he never said the word angel even once.


	15. 1947 AD

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Crowley finds his angel after WWII.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter actually spans from the beginning of the Blitz in 1940 through to 1947 where most of the "action" takes place.

Crowley needed a break. He decided, after laying his angel to rest once again, that he needed some serious time off. Being around him for his entire life and not being able to tell him who he was wore on Crowley. It was like a knife to his heart over and over again. He needed a nap. Crowley went to his flat and curled up in his bed and went to sleep. It was 1927 when he went to sleep. The bombing is what woke him up thirteen years later. 

Of course there was another war. Even though he'd been asleep through most of the beginnings of it he did manage to convince the head office that it was his idea. That got them off his back so he could help get the remaining children out of London. Some of the older kids were going along to help look after the younger ones. He was at the train station when he got that tingle that told him he needed to look up. Just down the platform there was a young woman getting ready to get on the train. She had the bright blond hair and the beautiful golden glow but she was too far away for Crowley to say anything to her. She also looked to be about sixteen at the oldest. Best to just let her be, Crowley thought, though he really hated to miss his chance. 

The war seemed to go on and on and on. Crowley did what he could to both help people and secure souls for Hell to keep the higher ups off his back. The odd healing here and there wasn't that bad, after all. And how were they to know that he was actually the one doing the healing? On one occasion he did get asked about it but he just claimed that it was a deal with the devil kind of situation just securing souls for later down the road. They seemed to believe that, at least for the time being. 

And then the war finally ended and everything was starting to very slowly get back to normal. Crowley realized he'd made a huge mistake in not at least getting the name of the young woman that was his angel. He kept his eyes on the train stations, waiting for that golden glow to show up amongst the passengers but it never did. Train after train of children returning to their parents and none of them were his angel. He waited until he was sure the last train load had come in before finally going about his business. Maybe he'd just missed her. He could find her eventually. 

Crowley found that his flat had actually been part of the casualties of war, though fortunately not the entire building. The part with some of his most valuable possessions was still in tact. He couldn't exactly miracle the rest of it back to like new condition without raising some questions. He'd have to actually rebuild and that was going to take some time. Two full years to be exact. Given that he could get any amount of money from anywhere, he actually funded the rebuilding of his whole block. He felt like it was the least he could do. He made sure that everyone around him had a place to stay until the rebuilding was done. 

When he finally managed to get his flat back to looking the way he wanted it to look, he went in search of his angel. The talisman told him that his angel was definitely in London and it seemed to be leading him to the North side of town. There was a lot of ground to cover and he had absolutely no idea where to start. He just made his way to the North side of town and started looking. After about two months of searching every square inch, he finally managed to get that feeling that he needed to look up. And there she was. Crowley gasped at the sight of her and his heart absolutely broke. 

"Young lady?" Crowley asked as he made his way into the alley. 

"I wasn't doing anything..." She started, backing away from him a bit. 

"You're not in any trouble, I promise." Crowley gave her a small smile. "I was just wondering, if you're willing to answer, how long you've been on the street?" She wasn't the first of the returned kids to end up like that, though she obviously wasn't a child anymore. 

"Couple of years." She couldn't remember exactly. She just remembered coming back from the country to an empty lot where her house had been and no family. No one to help her out. 

"That's awful. I'm so sorry you have to deal with that." He shook his head as he looked around the alley. "You haven't had to deal with any....unsavory men have you?" It was the nicest way he could think of to ask how she was sustaining herself. 

"No." She shook her head vigorously. "Some have tried but I fought them off." She wrapped her arms around herself as she looked up at Crowley. 

"How old are you, dear?" He asked softly. 

"Twenty two. I think. I kind of lost track of the days." She ran her fingers through her hair before wrapping her arms around herself again. 

"My dear, if you'll allow me. I'd like to take you in. Give you a place to sleep, some food. You can get cleaned up...." Crowley held out a hand to her. 

"And what will I have to do in return for this kindness?" She asked as she stepped back a little more. Of course she would be suspicious, it was only fair. 

"Perhaps a bit of cleaning, if you feel up to it. Nothing distasteful." Crowley kept his hand out and smiled a little. 

"You don't want.....that?" She tilted her head. All of the men that offered her kindness wanted that. 

"No." Crowley shook his head. "I truly only want to help you out." He moved just a little bit closer to her. "Call me your guardian angel." He kept his eyes on her. It took a moment for the recognition to kick in and then she smiled, moving closer to Crowley. 

"How long has it been this time, my love?" Aziraphale asked as she looked up at him. 

"About a hundred and fifty years." Crowley replied, wrapping his arms around her. He didn't count the time that Aziraphale didn't know who he was. "And I have missed you so much." 

"I'm so sorry you had to wait that long." Aziraphale said as she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. 

"It's not your fault, darling." Crowley smiled and kissed her softly on the lips. "Now, let's get you back to my flat and get you cleaned up." 

"This poor girl. The things she's been through." Aziraphale shook her head and leaned a bit against Crowley. 

"Well, she doesn't have to go through them any more." Crowley nodded. Rather than guiding Aziraphale along the street, he picked her up in a bridal carry and started out of the alley, getting a bit of a giggle from his angel in the process. He took her back to his flat as promised and got her cleaned up and fed. 

No one questioned Crowley taking in a girl from the street and caring for her. He thought it was kind of bad for his reputation but he didn't care. He had his angel back. That's all that mattered. He did everything he could to keep her healthy and happy. Their time together was rather short yet again. On December 2nd, 1955, shortly after Aziraphale's thirtieth birthday, she was riding a train that crashed due to signal error. Crowley was notified the next morning that his angel was one of thirteen people that were killed in the crash. There was a very short, dark period of time immediately following in which Crowley did quite a few very bad things to the people he considered responsible for the incident.


	16. 1990 AD

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Crowley comes across an ancestor.

Crowley had actually been doing research over the years since Aziraphale's most recent death and he found out something interesting. His angel's reincarnation wasn't always immediate. Sometimes there would be several years between the time his angel died and the next version of him was born. It explained the time that he came across his angel's mother still pregnant with him. And there was no rhyme or reason to the amount of time between death and birth. Sometimes it was immediate and sometimes not. Of course there wouldn't be any kind of pattern to the workings of God. She did rather enjoy keeping people on their toes. 

He was ready to give up. Not on actually finding his angel again but on looking for him. Each time Aziraphale died it chipped away at Crowley's heart. He was losing his love for humanity more with each decade that passed. He continued to hold on to that most cruel of a mistress that everyone called hope. Maybe he would get to see his angel again. Maybe he'd get to be happy one more time, even if it were brief. He truly hated that he had that hope inside him. He wanted to be rid of it but he loved his angel far too much to just let him go. 

It had been only 35 years since Aziraphale's most recent death. Crowley found that each time it happened it took him longer to get over, even though he knew the time would come when things would end. He stood on the Lambeth Bridge, staring out at the water and watching the traffic on the river. This was something he often did when he needed to think. Watching the water always cleared his mind and let him come to a proper decision. He held the talisman in his hand. He looked down at the little, wooden, black snake that had been in his possession for over three thousand years. It was one of the few things that he'd kept track of for so long. Everything else was fleeting. He thought back on the witch that gave it to him and he remembered keeping his promise, helping her on when her time came. It did bring a little smile to his face. 

"Are you quite alright, sir?" A voice asked from behind Crowley and to his left. He jumped a little. No one usually talked to him when he stood like that. 

"Pardon?" Crowley asked as he looked over. There standing just behind him on the bridge was his angle. He knew it. Blond hair and blue eyes and that same smile. Dressed as a constable this time. Crowley smirked a bit, not really surprised. The young man looked as if he were playing dress up in daddy's police kit. He couldn't have been more than 20 years old. 

"Are you alright, sir?" The constable stepped a bit closer. "We've had some calls from people that seemed a bit concerned. Apparently you looked as if...." The young man trailed off. Crowley closed his hand around the talisman wondering why it hadn't let him know his angel was near. Maybe the magic was starting to wear off. 

"As if I were going to jump?" Crowley asked with a raised eyebrow. 

"Well, yes actually." The constable nodded. 

"I promise you, young man, I have never had any intention of jumping off a bridge." Crowley smiled a bit. "Just gathering my thoughts." 

"Oh yes. Quite. Don't mean to disturb you." He cleared his throat and started to turn away. 

"Though if I had that intention it seems that I was sent a guardian angel." Crowley said softly, just loud enough for the constable to hear. The constable turned and smiled at Crowley, but the recognition never came. That moment of brain rebooting wasn't there. 

"I don't know that I would go that far, but I appreciate it." The young man said before nodding and turning again. Crowley just stared at him for a moment as he walked away. Why hadn't that worked? That was his angel, wasn't it? Then it dawned on Crowley. He looked down at the talisman dormant in his hand and then at the young man that looked so much like his angel. There was no golden glow. There'd been no urge to lift his head and look in the direction the angel was coming from. 

"Excuse me, constable." Crowley started to walk after the young man. 

"Yes?" The constable stopped and turned to look at Crowley again. 

"Pardon me for asking but.....your name wouldn't happen to be Rausing, would it?" He hadn't really seen a name tag on the constable's uniform. The young man blinked and stared at Crowley for a moment. 

"Yes, as a matter of fact it is. How could you have known?" He tilted his head a bit. 

"You have an ancestor named Abigail? Husband died in the American Civil War?" He asked. 

"I'm terribly sorry but do I know you? How can you possibly have that information?" The constable was starting to get very nervous. 

"I knew......" Crowley stopped immediately. He couldn't exactly tell this young man that he'd known his great great great whatever grandmother, now could he? He cleared his throat. "My family was very close with your family a long time ago. My ancestor was good friends with Abigail and her son. You look the spitting image of the pictures that my grandparents had." He smiled a little. 

"What is your name, sir?" He'd moved a bit closer. 

"Crowley. Anthony J Crowley, the fourth." He added quickly at the end. "My family are very big on recycling names." He chuckled. 

"You know, I do believe my mother said something about our family being friends with a Crowley quite a while ago. There was some sort of falling out and they were never seen together again, though no one knows exactly why." He shrugged. 

"None on my side know the reason either." Crowley cleared his throat. One harmless little lie wouldn't hurt. 

"Well, perhaps the two of us could do something about getting our families back together again?" The young man smiled reassuringly. Crowley was quiet for a long moment, then he nodded. 

"I'd like that very much." He smiled. Crowley had been wondering what happened to the Rausing family from all those years ago. 

"Would you be willing to stop by for dinner this weekend? We're having a little gathering and my parents are coming. My mother is very much into the family history and would love to meet you." He pulled a little note pad out of his pocket and started to write down his address. 

"I'd like that very much." Crowley nodded, taking the paper once it was offered. "Looking forward to it." 

"And I as well." Constable Rausing then turned and went back to his job. Crowley stared down at the piece of paper in his hand, fully intent on showing up to the dinner. 

That weekend, Crowley showed up to the address on the paper dressed nicely but not too nice for an informal get together. He carried with him a bottle of Chateauneuf de Pape and a bouquet of flowers. A little ring of the bell and Crowley was surprised to see a little boy open the door, no more than five years old. His heart sank in his chest when he saw the boy. Curly blond hair, bright blue eyes, infectious smile and that beautiful golden glow that always meant his angel was in front of him. Of course it would happen again. He took a deep breath and put on a smile. 

"Are you the man of the house?" He asked as he looked down at the little boy. 

"Jeremiah, what have I told you about opening the door?" A lovely young woman asked as she walked up. The little boy just bowed his head a bit and stepped back from the door. "May I help you?" She asked. 

"Anthony Crowley. Your husband invited me?" He assumed this was the young constable's wife. He was apparently a bit older than he looked. 

"Oh yes! Mr Crowley, do come in." She stepped aside and motioned for him to enter. 

"These, my dear, are for you." He grinned as he held out the bouquet. 

"Thank you so much, you really didn't need to. They're absolutely lovely. Let me go put these in some water." She motioned for him to go into the living room. "Charles, dear, Mr Crowley is here." The young constable came over to shake Crowley's hand. 

"I'm so glad that you could make it." He smiled. He took the bottle of wine and they decided to partake in it before dinner. The rest of the evening was spent chatting about family histories over a very lovely meal prepared by Mrs Rousing. Crowley put on a show of eating, though he usually didn't bother. There were enough people for him to get away with just nibbling. 

As the night went on, Crowley kept glancing over at the little boy that was his angel. Could he do this again? Could he be a part of Aziraphale's life without ever letting the young man know who he really was? He wasn't entirely sure. 

"You said that no one on your side knows why the falling out happened?" Charles' mother said as Crowley sipped his wine. 

"Actually, after the lovely invitation to dinner I did some research. I turns out that my ancestor was actually quite infatuated with Abigail. He'd written a bit of a diary. I read through it and he was quite sad when Abigail married. He thought perhaps she'd have him as a husband but was too late to get around to asking. He stuck around for a bit but watching her be happy with another man was a little too much for him to handle." Crowley replied. It wasn't entirely false. He had deeply cared for Abigail and wasn't entirely happy when she married, though the man proved to be a good choice over time. 

"That is so romantically tragic." The woman said, putting her hand over her heart. 

"We were so very close to being family." Charles said to Crowley with a little bit of a smile. 

"Closer than you'll ever know." Crowley muttered behind his wine glass before taking a drink. 

"I think now is the perfect time to remedy the situation and bring our two families close again, don't you? It was like it was fate, our Charles being the constable that saw to your well being." His mother said. 

"Yes, absolutely fate." Crowley lifted his wine glass in a toast. Now he had no choice. He had to stay in the little boy's life or the family would wonder what they'd done to keep him away. It took everything in his power to keep from letting the angel know who he really was. And there he was, over a hundred years later reliving the same life. Watching his lover grow from a small child and not being able to do anything about it at all. It was times like these that he was convinced he was meant to suffer. 

The years went by and he watched the young man grow and get married, as he'd done so many years before, never once saying the word angel. He hadn't had long to worry, though, because when the boy was just sixteen a tragic car accident took the lives of him and his parents. Crowley made sure the drunk driver responsible paid for his actions. No one got away with hurting his angel, no matter what.


	17. 2021 AD

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The end

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Imma be real. Y'all probably won't like the way this ends but it's what my muses wanted to happen and you all know they have to be appeased lest they abandon you.

Crowley had come very close to just letting the end of the world happen. He was pretty sure Heaven would win, if he were honest with himself. As much as the demons wanted to get out of Hell, they were too unorganized. How many times had he lied in memos to head office and no one even bothered to check? He was pretty sure that they didn't even get read most of the time. 

If the world ended then there would be no more reason to search for his beloved angel. He probably wouldn't survive the battle anyway and then there wouldn't be anything to worry about. But the closer it got to the end of the world the more he realized he didn't want his angel to have to go through that as a human. It was going to be very bad for them, he knew that. And he really did love humans. They were amazing and inventive and sometimes they were horrid but for the most part they were good. And his angel was amongst them. He couldn't just let them all die. 

It took quite a bit of work but he did actually manage to keep the world from ending, with quite a bit of help from a few people. Some he'd known for a long time and some he'd met along the way. The young man that was the Antichrist actually turned out to be a pretty great kid when all was said and done. He made sure to keep in touch. 

Time went on and Crowley once again came across his angel, though this time he didn't say it immediately. 

"Anthony Crowley." He introduced himself to the gorgeous young man sitting at the bar alone. This was, of course, after offering to buy him a drink. 

"Andrew Farnsworth." The young man smiled that wonderful smile that was always the same in every incarnation. 

"It's very nice to meet you, Andrew." Crowley nodded, picking up his glass when the bartender brought their drinks. He thought about saying it then but he decided to wait. He wanted to see if this young man would be drawn to him without being reminded of who he was. 

"Nice to meet you as well, Anthony." Andrew said before taking a sip of his own drink. Crowley chuckled softly. "What?" Andrew asked. 

"I'm not used to hearing my own name I suppose. Everyone usually just calls me Crowley." He shrugged. 

"But Anthony is such a wonderful name." Andrew reached over and put a hand on Crowley's. 

"You're perhaps the only one that thinks that." Crowley said. He turned his hand over and held Andrew's in his which caused the young man to blush. 

They spent the rest of the evening talking and having drinks. It was amazing how easy it was to talk to him, even when he didn't know he was Aziraphale. Crowley paid for all the drinks even against Andrew's protests. The two parted ways as the bar was closing but not before exchanging numbers. 

Nearly six months later they sat in Crowley's living room looking at the old photo album that contained all the pictures of his previous incarnations. 

"I just hate that you have to wait at all." Aziraphale said as he pulled Crowley into his arms. 

"You say that every single time." Crowley laughed softly, resting his head on Aziraphale's shoulder. He really did love being held like that, regardless of the appearances he may put on. 

"And I will continue to say it." Aziraphale smiled, rubbing Crowley's back slowly. 

"I can't keep doing this, Zira." Crowley said softly as he sat back and put a hand on Aziraphale's cheek. 

"What do you mean?" Aziraphale tilted his head. 

"I mean.....I've been dealing with losing you and getting you back and losing you all over again for more than six thousand years. I can't do it anymore. This.....this is it. This is the last time." He let his hand fall to Aziraphale's shoulder and looked down as he sighed softly. 

"Then we better make it count." Aziraphale nodded. He just assumed that Crowley meant they wouldn't be together again. That his beloved just wouldn't search him out anymore, and if he did find him he'd leave him be. 

"Yes, I think we should." Crowley nodded, giving Aziraphale a kiss on the lips. What he had in mind was completely different than what the other man suspected. 

They had far more years together than Crowley anticipated. With modern medicine and technology, Aziraphale lived well into his nineties before old age took him. Seventy five years the two had gotten together and Crowley had made sure that every single moment was the best possible. They laughed and loved and traveled and just lived life to the fullest. Everything was absolutely perfect. 

Aziraphale was loved by so many in their life that the funeral was rather extravagant. So many people were there to celebrate his life and mourn his death. It was beautiful. When the funeral was over, Crowley went back to the house that the two of them had shared in their time together. Even though it was warm outside, Crowley started a fire and stood staring at it for a moment. He took the little wooden snake out of his pocket and dropped it into the fire. The flames changed color and grew for a moment before calming down again. 

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Crowley jumped as a voice appeared behind him seemingly out of nowhere. 

"Yes." He nodded, turning to look at Michael. He'd known for a long time that the angel was working with the demons but he never expected to get any help. 

"There's no going back. Once it's done, it's done." Michael raised an eyebrow. "You'll never see him again." 

"I know." Crowley nodded. "Can we just get on with it?" He didn't want to wait any longer. Michael nodded and the two of them went into the bathroom, Michael filling up the bath and watching Crowley for a moment. 

"May I ask why now?" Michael was ever so curious. 

"No, you may not." Crowley glared at the angel. "I'd like to be alone now, thank you." He tried not to sound too irritated. Without a word, Michael vanished. Crowley had left everything he had to a local charity that helped homeless youth. His time with his angel in the forties had left a mark on him and he wanted to make sure that help was given where needed. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. 

"I love you." He whispered and then stepped into the bath. It only took a few moments for Anthony J Crowley to cease to exist. What Crowley hadn't realized, though, was that God had other plans for him. She wouldn't just let him end things like that. He might not be a demon anymore, but she was going to make sure his soul continued to exist through eternity. It was going to be interesting to see if the two humans managed to meet up or if they would spend their lives longing for someone they didn't know actually existed. Only time would tell, and time was all she had.


End file.
